Why don’t we look at the most obvious issue: Virtually all of the shows are from the last 20 years. If you are going to claim it is a list of all time, you might want to make sure some of your voters actually have some knowledge of television before 1990.

I will readily admit I know little prior to the late 70s, but Hill Street Blues? The Rockford Files? Barney Miller? MASH? The Honeymooners? WKRP? SOAP?

And as far as what they do have, I would not put 24 in the top 50, let alone top 10.I am a pretty big Joss Whedon fan, but Angel is hardly top 50 material. Fun? Sure, but not a classic by any means. Buffy was indeed a masterful show and deserves a spot, but putting Angel on is silly.

Futurama is ranked higher than Monty Python?

Heroes? Most fans agree the second season is lacking. This means it is being ranked based on one season.Want to put a prison show on here? Put OZ in place of Prison Break.

I love Dexter, but two seasons is hardly enough for me to declare it one of the all time greatest shows.

And while I really loved the first four seasons of The West Wing, the last three pretty much kill any logical argument for putting it in the top five. I would agree with top twenty but not top five.Fellas, put down the crack pipe and learn a little about the history of television. We can all argue about which show should be where, but to ignore the majority of the television era is simply a crime.

Call it your list of favorites, but using the phrase of “greatest shows of all time” for this list is insulting.

Lee, Jon and I talked a little about this, I would be curious to know what some of you think. Maybe being a film/TV nerd, I am overreacting a little bit.

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8 Comments

The phrase "Of All Time" does irritate. Slipshod irritates and drivel makes my eyes water. Time is the stuff that life is made of and they wasted mine. Feeble gives it more praise than it deserves.

Apr05

Gerald So

I agree the list is too shoddy to prompt real debate, Jeremy. It would offend me as a fellow TV fan, except I've seen so many lists like it that I can't care enough to be offended. 🙂

Apr05

Sean

As was already said, The Rockford Files seems to be one of the most obvious missing shows.

24 has never been a great show. Entertaining? Yes, at times.

Apr05

MysterLynch

Gerald,

While I agree that lists are indeed designed to prompt debate, this list is not one for debate, but rather one for scorn.

Apr05

Gerald So

Lists like this, that don't cite any statistics, are never definitive. That's why so many lists are made, to stir up debate.

Apr05

Randy Johnson

Let me add more. I Love Lucy probably should be on the list. It was the blueprint for EVERY sitcom that came after. I have a soft spot for Firefly, but it only lasted half a season and one film. As you said about Angel, it was fun. But it definitely didn't belong in the top 50. I gave up on Prison Break during the third season. If they had stopped after two, it might have been on a list of great shows; I don't think top 50 though. The Battlestar Galactica, I assume is the new version. Don't know much about it. Never watched.

Apr05

Randy Johnson

For me the two most obvious omissions would be M*A*S*H and The Rockford Files. Admittedly I'm to young to have seen any of the PI shows from the Fifties. But I saw them all after that and Rockford was the best I've seen from the Sixties on. And what's left to say about M*A*S*H. I think it was among the first comedies to tackle serious subjects. Deliberately not funny on occasion, it gave rise to all the comedy/dramas that came later.